


the future is bulletproof (the aftermath is secondary)

by catsinouterspace



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Developing Relationship, Gen, Genin Team 7 Are Just Gremlins, M/M, Pining, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-20
Updated: 2019-10-20
Packaged: 2020-12-24 17:14:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21103055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catsinouterspace/pseuds/catsinouterspace
Summary: It’s during the clean up of Pein's destruction that Kakashi finds it, a book on a forbidden jutsu. He has every intention of bringing it to the Hokage but she's in a coma and Kakashi doesn't trust Danzo, so he takes it home, after all it's as safe with him as anywhere else, right?





	the future is bulletproof (the aftermath is secondary)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [heeroluva](https://archiveofourown.org/users/heeroluva/gifts).

Kakashi knows what he’s meant to do.

_ Get over it. _

_ Move on. _

_ Do what needs to be done. _

He’s been in a ninja since the age of 5, jounin since he was 10, joined the ANBU at 13. More than most he knows how to overlook the constant aching in his chest; knows how to put one foot in front of the next and hope the place he ends up looks at least a bit better than the place he started.

The problem is, it rarely does.

The village is destroyed, a crater sitting in the town he’d grown up in. Everyone is happy though; ecstatic that the only thing missing is the village and not the lives of their loved ones or themselves.

Kakashi tries to put things in perspective as he carries an exhausted Naruto home on his back. He still has Naruto, even if the kid is more Jiraiya's student than his own, still has Sakura, even if she’s chosen to study under Tsundae, still has Gai and Tenzou. These are good things he tells himself, trying his hardest not to tally them against the insurmountable loss that comes before them, his mother, his father, Itachi, Obito, Rin, Sasuke the names flood into his brain before he can stop them, laughing at the idea that he should be happy to cling to what’s left when there’s so little of it.

He puts one foot in front of the other until he gets back to the village, a crowd rushing towards Naruto, he’s the saviour of the village, all the love they have for people they thought were dead is directed at him, it’s everything the sad lonely kid he’d found under his tutelage years ago wanted. Kakashi wishes he could feel anything but the hollowness in his chest.

* * *

It’s during the clean up that Kakashi finds it. A book on a forbidden jutsu. He isn’t sure where it came from, the commotion that destroyed the village was more than enough to fling belongings everywhere. As it stands the book is completely unblemished, it’s clear that a protection jutsu has been placed on it.

Kakashi picks up the book, begins walking towards where the acting Hokage is stationed while the city is being rebuilt before his legs stutter to a stop. He knows that this book is dangerous, that it should be in the hands of someone capable, equipped to deal with it and make the decision of whether is should ever be used.

At this current point in time, the person who had been deemed the most worthy to make this decision was Danzo.

Kakashi knows that he should put his trust in the Hokage to make the right decisions for the village but…

He takes the book home. _ Just until Tsundae wakes up _, he tells himself. It’s not like he’s going to do anything with the book, and besides, no one will know it’s with him, it’s as safe in his apartment as it would be anywhere else.

Kakashi would like to say he forgets about the book in the mess that follows, would like to pretend that his failure to refer it to someone with higher standing is just a lapse of memory. It isn’t though, he wonders if the book has been given some kind of magic that keeps it on his mind, he can’t help but feel as though terrible things will happen to the person who opens it.

_ That’s why he doesn’t give it up. _ Kakashi tells himself. _ He’s doing what’s best for Konoha. As long as he doesn’t open the book everything will be fine. _

Kakashi opens the book.

It’s easily apparent why such a jutsu would be hidden, it is integral that such information would be kept out of the hands of someone who would be so careless as to actually use it.

He pulls up his mask, his sharingan whirling to life as it takes in the jutsu that is transcribed into the book.

Kakashi’s hands blur as they move together, his sharingan copying the techniques from the book into his own movements.

* * *

Kakashi wakes up to a mind splitting headache. He blinks his eyes open for half a second but the sunshine beaming into his room does nothing to help the ringing in his head. It’s the type of pain that one could only hope to sleep off but Kakashi’s is in too much pain to do that. The irony isn’t lost on him.

“Another beautiful day, Rival!”

Kakashi groans, stuffing his head under his pillow, he really didn’t need _ another _type of headache this morning.

Gai hummed disapprovingly at Kakashi’s state.

“The key was for emergencies Gai.” Kakashi mumbled.

“The emergency being that if you don’t get up you’ll be late to meet your kids.”

_ Right. _His genin team. 

Kakashi had never considered teaching to be a goal of his, in fact he was vehemently opposed to the whole concept. Kakashi had planned to stay in the ANBU until he died, and he didn’t expect that to be too far in the distant future, he took suicide mission after suicide mission but they never did what they were supposed to do.

The Hokage had noted it. Pulling him aside to tell Kakashi about a _ special mission _he had in store for him. 

Sitting in the Hokage’s office the Third had started with, “No one who keeps taking those missions is okay.”

Kakashi hadn’t understood at first, of course he wasn’t _ okay _ , he was the _ best _, that’s why he was still ali- and then it hit him. The Third wasn’t questioning his skill. Kakashi’s eyes had skittered up to the ceiling,tracing along the roof as though it held as much wonder as the Sistine Chapel’s.

“I’m assigning you a genin team.”

That had drawn Kakashi’s attention down from the ceiling. “What?” This had to be a joke; who goes _ hey I’ve noticed you might have some suicidal tendencies so I’m going to make you _ _ responsible for three twelve year olds _?

Still, there had been a loophole to this assignment, can’t train a genin team if you keep failing them. Three years and nine heartbroken twelve year olds later the Hokage had given Kakashi an ultimatum. An ultimatum that looks like Minato’s kid, the jinchuriki of the village no less, and the last Uchiha. The girl herself is nearly as rare coming from one of the very few non-ninja families in Konoha, topping the class in all theory subjects. Kakashi knows very well that, give or take Sakura, this was always going to be his team; even if he failed them this year they would just come back to him more angry and bitter the next.

The reason for the splitting headache he was currently experiencing was some ill advised choices he’d made to deal with this.

_ Wait. _

This wasn’t right.

The headache vanished as if it had never been there in the first place.

Gai was still talking, more to himself than Kakashi as he rifled through a bag of groceries he’d bought to make breakfast, knowing that Kakashi wouldn’t have anything in his cupboards. Kakashi made a mental note to invite Gai out to dinner sometime before the man got sick of cooking for him.

“...honestly you’ve got quite the team Kakashi, I’m sure you can’t fail these ones!”

“I don’t want to be a squad leader.” Kakashi griped. He knows Gai’s right, knows that there’s a reason he took this team despite their fairly abysmal attempts at team work but he also knows exactly how things end.

If he’d been transported a bit further back in time, maybe he could have gotten out of this, begged the Hokage to put someone else in charge of Team Seven, begged for Naruto and Sasuke to not be together. He knew that failing them, however, would just speed up the process of Sasuke’s disillusionment with the Leaf. If Kakashi refused to train Sasuke now, he’d just seek out someone else who would sooner.

Gai held Kakashi out a plate of food, “You’re going to do great Kakashi.”

Kakashi kind of hated how easily Gai could read his nerves when no one else would have any idea of how he was feeling, “You’re not staying for breakfast?” His voice remained bored, but he could feel the desperation clawing up his throat. Gai was always good with kids, good at smoothing over relationships with brash enthusiasm and genuine love, maybe if Gai just stayed a moment longer it would magically rub off on Kakashi.

“I promised Lee I would meet him for our one hundred laps of the village.” His ample brows knitted together as he said that, “I could stay if you wanted Kakashi.”

The copy-nin waves his hand dismissively in front of his face, “Mah, go and do your laps.” After all what else was he meant to say? _ Hi Gai, I found a book with a forbidden jutsu which I instantly performed and have travelled back in time and now I need to figure out a way to stop my future student from flipping out, joining a gang and trying to destroy the whole village, and honestly you’re the only thing in my life that remains vaguely constant and I would very much like if you didn’t leave? _

Gai didn’t look convinced by Kakashi’s dismissal, but he nodded anyway, pulling Kakashi into a bone crushing hug, nearly knocking over the breakfast the man had just been handed in the process, “Good luck with your kids.” 

* * *

Despite Gai’s concerns Kakashi arrives early, wanting to survey his to-be Genin team. It was weird seeing them like this, had they really been this _ tiny? _ He followed Sasuke after he slipped away, leaving Naruto to try and convince Sakura to spend time with him. For half a moment Kakashi’s fingers itched towards his shuriken, he was one of the Leaf’s best weapons after all and he knew the way to solve problems was to kill them. But no. _ Sasuke was only twelve. But so what? He’d killed younger before. _ Kakashi tried to stop the greatest moments replay from his brain but he’d been a trained killer for as long as he remembered and he’d followed plenty of orders he wasn’t proud of; kids killed to cover up crimes, babies stolen from cradles to be used as leverage. _ Not this time. _ There had been enough death, enough need for vengeance already. _ This time Kakashi had to do better. _

* * *

“Gai.”

“Kakashi.” Gai responded with a nod as he walked into his apartment, acting as though being greeted by Kakashi perched on his fridge was part of his everyday routine.

“Bbq for dinner?”

Gai raised his eyebrows.

“My treat.” 

“Genin team went well then I take it?” Gai asked as he grabbed the vest he’d just discarded heading back towards the door.

Kakashi shrugged, following Gai out the door to their usual haunt; having a twelve year old profess they “didn’t like much of anything” and their greatest goal in life was the murder of a “certain someone” didn’t really seem to fit into the category of “alright.”

“How to I get someone to like me?”

Gai started sputtering around a piece of barbecue eggplant, his face turning crimson as he reached for the jug of water on the table between them, gulping it down.

“Errhmmm.” Gai cleared his throat, “You could invite them out for food?” Gai’s advice sounded more like a question, his face still blushed red from the choking incident.

Kakashi nodded. Made sense, he knew that food was the way to Naruto’s heart at least, now he just had to see if it worked on Sasuke too. Maybe show the kid that there were things worth sticking around for; things more important than revenge.

* * *

Naruto had been excitedly listing his favourite ramen combinations for the past ten minutes straight. Kakashi couldn’t help but reach out to fondly ruffle the blond’s hair, maybe two things never change; Gai and Naruto’s love of ramen.

“Hey! Watch it old man! What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Naruto jumped away from him, looking ready to prove his prowess as a ninja by challenging Kakashi right there and then.

Kakashi sighed, “I’ll buy you a second bowl.”

“Oh really? You’re the best sensei!” Naruto exclaimed. At least one of his students was easy to handle, or well bribe.

Food was an _ excellent _idea, sure it wasn’t going to solve everything straight away but Kakashi could already see a future unfolding in front of him, Naruto training to be hokage in the village because he didn’t need to chase Sasuke, Sakura becoming the most accomplished medical ninja in all of history without a missing teammate to distract from her studies and Sasuke rebuilding his clan without first trying to destroy the village. Kakashi made a mental note to thank Gai for his advice.

This thought train is what Kakashi was kicking himself for as he sat in Ichiraku’s, Naruto looking the picture of shock with an upturned bowl of ramen on his head.

“We can’t take you anywhere!” Sakura yelled at him, “Lunch would have been so much better if it was just Sasuke!” She skipped right over _ who _was responsible for the bowls current position. 

“Teuchi, I’m so sorry.” Naruto was trying to yell over Sakura, the bowl still balancing on his blond spikes. 

For his part Sasuke did not look remorseful at all.

Kakashi grabbed the bowl off Naruto’s head since it didn’t look like anyone else was going to, he placed it, along with a pile of coins on the counter, hoping that a generous tip would be enough for the man to forget about the incident. Kakashi grabbed all three of his students, resulting in several indignant yelps. 

Naruto slammed his fists against Kakashi’s chest, “Put me dooooown!”

Kakashi did just that, Sakura and Naruto falling into a heap on the ground, Sasuke landing on his feet, trying to look bored by the whole situation.

“Comrades don’t fight each other.” Kakashi growled at them, Sasuke hurling food at Naruto may be a far cry from the boy trying to rip his heart out but the copy-nin knew that it was a slippery slope.

“Well _ maybe _he shouldn’t be our comrade.” Sakura folded her arms, inhaling sharply through her nose as she glared at Naruto.

Naruto stuck his lip out in a dramatic pout. “Sasuke started it! Just because you lik-”

Sakura flung herself towards the blond, hand curled up in a fist, her trajectory slightly off, be it by lack of planning or purpose Kakashi wasn’t sure, but the tree next to Naruto snapped in half, the sound of it cracking echoing across the village.

Kakashi’s singular uncovered eye widened in shock as he watched the tree toppled onto a house, the roof caving in on impact.

_ Fuck me. _

* * *

They’d finished three D grade missions today, only two more and they’d be breaking even on the property damage what was meant to be a pleasant lunch out had caused. Kakashi wished Tenzou was back in the village already and could use his wood style jutsu to circumvent the cost of these incidents.

The good news was that Kakashi’s three students hadn’t yelled at each other once this entire mission. The bad news was that they weren’t talking to each other. Kakashi knew he shouldn’t be celebrating this as a success but honestly he was getting too old to deal with the constant squabbling of preteens, even if the body he’s currently occupying is still in its twenties, amazing how a few years as a failed squad leader can age you.

Kakashi grimances, Gai’s latest piece of advice had been one he’d been putting off trying.

“If you really want someone to like you, you have to be open and honest with your feelings!” Gai had flashed his signature grin and given him an enthusiastic thumbs up. Kakashi decided to take a hard pass on that. But now none of his genin were talking to each other and it was not exactly doing wonders for team dynamic. Besides, he could make _ them _ be open and honest with each other without doing much of it himself.

“Alright guys, the town we’re going to be staying in is about ten minutes further, we can get Mr Mittens home tomorrow.”

“Alright!” Naruto cheered, “I’m getting tired of carrying this.” With his free arm he gestured towards the carrier, the carrier hissed at him, sensing that it was being talked about. “Maybe if _ someone _would do their share of their carrying.”

“You know Kakashi, if _ someone _ hadn’t been messing around on the way to find Mr Mittens we could be back in Konoha tonight.” Sasuke informed the ninja.

“Well if _ someone _ wasn’t such a pompous prick, this whole process would have been faster, isn’t that right Kakashi?” Naruto retorted.

“If_ certain members _ of our team had been arguing less, than that man with the horse cart surely would have given us a ride, don ‘t you think Kakashi?” Sakura piped up.

_ Oh great. _ Kakashi thought. _ Could they both yell at each other and refuse to talk to each other at the same time? _

* * *

With Mr Mittens fed and watered Kakashi rounded his students into one room, sitting them all in a circle. 

Sasuke glared at the floor, Sakura at the ceiling, and Naruto right at Kakashi, it looked like their oath of silence towards one another had extended to include eye contact.

“Right,” Kakashi began, “This,” He said brandishing a stick, “Is the talking stick. Whoever is holding it is the only one allowed to talk. We’re going to have a-” Kakashi cleared his throat, _ god this felt corny, couldn’t he just have them battle it out or something, _but had tried his way of teaching and he knew where that got him so, “We’re going to have an open and honest discussion about our feelings. Who wants to go first?”

Sasuke held up his hand, Kakashi raised his eyebrow, shocked that the usually sullen pre-teen would offer to start this exercise, he handed the stick over.

“I’m _ feeling,” _He emphasised the word in a sarcastic drawl, “That I shouldn’t have been paired with such incompetant teammates.”

“You watch your mouth! I’ll kick your bu-”

“Some of them are so stupid they can’t even grasp the rules of the talking stick!” Sasuke shouted above Naruto.

Kakashi grabbed the stick off Sasuke, glaring at him and Naruto. “Noted. Does anything have anything more _ productive _ to add?”

Sakura held her hand out for the stick. _ Okay, _ Kakashi thought, _ she was the most sane of the three of them, not that that was a particularly high bar. _

“I think missions would be a lot easier if we worked together.” _ Oh thank god. _“Right now Naruto’s too untalented alone-”

“I am not!”

“-and Sasuke acts like an idiot on every mission.”

“Like you can do any better!” Sasuke snarled.

Kakashi blinked, as the three of them lunged at each other, watching as his talking stick traded its initial purpose of bringing peace for being a weapon. Sakura had it firmly clasped in both hands as she pelted Sasuke across the face, Naruto was desperately trying to yank it away from her while also attempting, and failing. to avoid being kicked by Sasuke’s flailing legs. ….well at least they were talking to each other right?  


* * *

“Gai.”

“Rival?”

“They still don’t like me.”

Gai paused, he fiddled with his hands, avoiding meeting Kakashi’s eyes.

“I’m just, so close, I was wondering if yo-”

“Kakashi.” Gai interrupted him, looking up to meet Kakashi’s eyes, “I want you to be so happy.”

Kakashi narrowed his eyes, unsure of where this was going. He was sure he’d figure out how to be happy at the same time he figured out how to stop Sasuke from becoming homicidal, or you know, more homicidal than your average ninja.

“I really do, and I promise to support you, but,” Gai paused again, his face slightly red and eyes down cast, a very unusual look for the green clad man. “Idon’twanttohelpyoucourtsomeoneelse.” The words left Gai’s mouth in such a rush that Kakashi had a hard time deciphering them. “For what it’s worth I’m sure they do like you, I don’t see how anyone couldn’t.”

Kakashi was frozen. He wasn’t sure how his intentions had gotten so twisted. “I want Sasuke to like me.”

“What?”

“Your team just works so well, and I’m pretty sure mine hate me, apart from maybe Naruto but I don’t think he _ likes _me either, and I just want Sasuke to,” not try to destroy the Leaf, “stop glaring daggers at me.”

“Oh.” Gai quickly recomposed himself, his famous nice guy grin lighting up his face. “Well it’s all about team bonding through training!”

Kakashi sighed, _ of course, Gai would say that. _Kakashi couldn’t imagine how training drills would really endear anyone to you. 

“In my experience the one thing these kids want more than anything is to get stronger, train them well and they’ll love you for it.”

Kakashi felt like an idiot because _ duh. _All three of them had made it very clear that they strived to be better ninjas, sure their aims differed a bit, from scoring the boy, to avenging a clan, to becoming Hokage, but if Kakashi did a good enough job Sasuke wouldn’t feel the need to turn to Orochimaru.

Gai launched into a long spiel about the importance of not neglecting basic fitness for ninjutsu training, and while Kakashi found himself tuning out the importance of training both muscular endurance and strength he couldn’t help but think about how good it was to hear Gai talk like this. Kakashi had always shied away from romantic attachments, from all attachments in general. He knew how these things ended, one dead the other swearing on revenge, relationships of any sort were just not worth in when you were a shinobi, because who knew what the future held? But that’s the thing, Kakashi knew_ . _Sure he was trying his best to divert it but, well, even going along the worst possible time line, the start of another Great Ninja War, his previous student becoming and enemy of the Leaf, Gai had been there.

“Hey Gai,” Kakashi began.

Gai paused, waiting for the other man to continue.

“About what you were saying earlier-”

“Oh you can just ignore that! I’m sorry I misread the situation, I didn’t mean t-” Gai tripped over his words.

“Do you want to come to dinner with me?” Kakashi followed Gai’s first piece of advice, a smile in his voice, after all no matter _ how badly _this date went he was fairly sure he could get through it without one of them wearing their food and a building being destroyed.

  



End file.
